1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a potpourri for scenting the atmosphere, and more particularly to an air-freshener package which is activated when irradiated in a microwave oven, and which remains in an activated state for a prolonged period when removed from the oven and placed in a room to discharge an aromatic vapor into the room simulating that of a natural potpourri.
2. Status of Prior Art
A traditional potpourri which exudes fragrant scents is a mixture of aromatic herbs, dried flowers and spices blended with essential oils. A traditional potpourri is usually stored in a jar, a bowl or a basket which is placed in a kitchen, bedroom or bathroom to mask unpleasant odors.
A potpourri is passive in the sense that the volume of fragrance and the rate at which it is emitted depends on the prevailing ambient temperature and humidity in the room in which it is placed. It is not too effective in scenting a large room or in doing so for more than a day or two before it is exhausted. One can reactivate a traditional potpourri by tossing its ingredients in a fragrance oil, but this is a messy procedure.
In order to accelerate the action of a potpourri, it is known to provide porous packets similar to a tea bag, containing a pulverized potpourri. The potpourri packet is simmered in a pot of boiling water to generate an aromatic vapor which fills the room in which the pot is placed.
A simmering potpourri is effective only as long as it remains in boiling water. Hence its use is usually limited to a kitchen environment. Also, one must maintain a watch on the level of the boiling water and keep children away from the pot. And since the packet releases oil into the boiling water, should the oily water spatter out of the pot, it could stain or burn nearby objects.
The complex fragrance emitted by a potpourri is such that it not only serves to mask unpleasant odors but also to suffuse the environment with a pleasing aroma that evokes a bouquet of diverse flowers rather than a single flower. As is now well known, a pleasing aroma functions as a mood modifier and acts on individuals exposed thereto to lift their depression or to make them more alert.
But existing potpourris, whether of the traditional or of the simmering type, have various practical disadvantages. Either they are incapable of generating sufficient aroma to modify an environment, or if they are capable of doing so, as with the simmering potpourri, their use is limited to a room having a heating facility.